Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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~ACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a veneer splicing
apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to
improve the operating speed and to facilitate the mainte-
nance work of an appara-tus capable of performing cutting
and splicing operation at the same place, such as disclosed
in Japanese Patent Publication No. 45-38153.
In the above-mentioned conventional apparatus capable
of performing cutting and splicing operations at the same
place, pressing members are reciprocated toward and away
from a position where a cutting tool cuts a veneer, to press
adhesive materials, such as adhesive tapes or adhesive-
impregnated ~arns, onto the adjacent surfaces of veneers,
thus, making the adhesive materials adhere to the surfaces
of the veneers.
In such a conventional apparatus, however, the cutting
tool needs to be retracted after cutting a veneer to provide
a sufficient space for the reciprocating operation of the
pressing members with respect to the veneers. Accordingly,
in such an apparatus, the stroke of the cutting tool is
inevitably greater than that of a simple veneer cutting
apparatus, which has been an impediment to raising the
veneer processing speed of the cutting and splicing appara-
tus in which veneer cutting operation is repeated frequent-
ly. Furthermore, the provision of both the cutting tool
and the pressing members narxows the space available to
replace the parts of the cutting tool and the pressing
members.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to ~ol~e those
problems of the conventional cutting and splicing apparatus~
A veneer splicing apparatus according to the present in-
vention comprises a cutting tool capable of reciprocating
toward and away from a conveying member capable of being
optionally driven or stopped; a veneer detector for detect-
ing the irregular portions of a veneer, disposed before the
cutting tool with respect to the direction of feeding a
veneer; a delivery conveyor disposed after the cutting tool;
veneer supporting members each disposed between the cutting
tool and the delivery conveyor with one end thereof directed
toward the cutting tool and with the other end thereof
pivotally suppor~ed; an adhesive material feed device to
feed adhesive materials, such as adhesive tapes or adhesive-
impregnated yarns, near to the veneer cutting position of
the edged tool; and a pressure unit formed by joining
pressure members mounted on opposite sides, with respect to
the direction of feeding a veneer, respectively of the edged
tool, through a plurality of guide grooves formed in the
edged tool or in the tool holder at an optional distance
from the edge of the edged tool, and adapted to be recipro-
cated toward and away from the veneer cutting position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings show a preferred embodiment
of a veneer splicing apparatus according to the present
invention, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a general side elevation of the veneer
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splicing appaxatus;
FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the essential part of
the veneer splicing appaxatus of FIG. l;
FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the essential part of
the veneer splicing apparatus;
FIGURE 4 is sectional view taken along line IV-IV and
and seen in the direction of the arrows in the following
figure;
FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of the essential part
of the veneer splicing apparatus;
FIGURE 6 is a circuit diagram of the controller;
FIGURES 7 to 9 are representations explaining the
operation of the veneer splicing apparatus; and
FIGURÆ 10 is a representation explaining the operation
of the veneer splicing apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will be described hereinafter
in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof as shown
in the accompanying drawings.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5~ there are shown a feed
conveyor 2 for conveying a veneer 1 along a veneer feed
path in a predetermined direction, capable of being stopped,
and an anvil roller 3. A plurality of annular grooves 4
are formed in the outer circumference of the anvil roller 3
and spaced axially of the anvil roller 3.
A pluxality of rollers 5 adapted to be lifted by a
distance corresponding to the thickness Gf the veneer 1 are
disposed above the anvil roller 3 on the side of the feed
conveyor 2 along a direction perpendicular to the veneer
feed direction. Each roller 5 is provided with a micro-
switch M which is actuated when the corresponding roller 5
is lifted by a predetermined distance. T~e respective
normally-closed contacts of the microswitches M having
a suitable timer are connected in parallel as shown in FIG.
6. When all the rollers 5 are lifted by the predetermined
distance and when any one of the rollers 5 is lowered from
the lifted position, a leading end cutting signal and a
trailing end cutting signal~ respectively, are provided
for cutting the leading or trailing ends thereof after
a predtermined period of time.
A pair fo intermittently rotatable rollers R capable
of holding continuous adhesive yarns to feed the same,
and guide tubes 7 to guide the adhesive yarns 6 to the
veneer cutting position are interposed appropriately between
the rollers 5. The adhesive yarn 6 is prepared by impreg-
nating a yarn with a melted hot-melting or thermoplastic
adhesive or by applying the hot-melting adhesive to a yarn,
and then by cooling the hot-melting adhesive.
A nozzle 8 for blowing hot air toward the adhesive
yarn 6 being delivered from the guide tube 7 is desposed
somewhat above the corresponding guide tube 7.
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A tool holder 9 capable of reciprocating, by suitable
drive means in response to suitable time-logged signals
from microswitch M, toward and away from the anvil roller
3 is provided after the guide tubes 7. A repalceable
cutting tool 11 is secured to the tool holder 9 with a
tool clamp 10 such that said cutting tool generally extends
laterally relative to the feed path. In the tool holder
9, vertical guide grooves 12 having guide ways 13 are formed
at positi.ons corresponding to t:he guide tubes 7 by cutting
the upstream side of the tool holder to a depth indicated by
broken line II-II in FIG. 1, as illustrated in FIG. 2 show-
ing a front elevation of the tool holder 9 seen from the
side of the guide tubes 70 As illustrated in a side ele-
vation in FIG. 3, cooling and pressing members 16 each
including a pressing element 16' attached thereto are
associated with the corresponding sliding guide ways 13 of
the grooves 12 and are connected to the respective lower
ends of thin steel strips 14 connected to a pressing member
actuator not shown, mounted on the tool holder 9. Each
pressing element has an underside surface extending sub-
stantially parallelly to the veneer sheets above a splicing
line which will be explained later. The cooling and press-
ing member 16 is provided internally with a water passage
15 to circulate cooling water therethrough, and hoses 17
and 17' for supplying cooling water to and for discharging
the same from the water passage 15. Furthermore, the cool-
ing and pressing element 16' is provided on the upstream
side of the bottom portion thereof with a cutting knife
24 projecting slightly from the underside surface of the
cooling and pressing element 16' to cut the adhesive yarn
6. A groove 18 of a width slightly greater than the thick-
ness of the cutting tool 11 and of a depth greater than the
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height of the cutting tool 11 is Eormed in the bottom
portion of the c.ooling and pressing element 16' in
parallel to the cutting tool 11 over the entire length
thereof to receive the upper portion of the cutting tool 11
so that the up-and~down movement of the cooling and pressing
element 16' is guided by the cutting tool 11.
A plurality of veneer supporting members 20 are dis-
posed after the cuttin~ tool 11. ~ach veneer supporting
member 20 is supported pivotally at one end thereof on a
rotary shaft provided at the front end oE a delivery con
veyor 19 for swing motion between a lower position where
the leading end thereof is received in the annular groove
4 to guide the veneer to the delivery conveyor 19~ and an
upper position where the leading end thereof is raised from
the annular groove 4 to obstacle the advancement of the
veneer onto the delivery conveyor l9o A rubber roller 21
of an axial width greater than that of the annular groove
4 is disposed above each veneer supporting member 20. The
rubber roller 21 is continuously held in contact with the
veneer supporting member 20. A kicker 23 of the same width
as that of the veneer supporting member 20, having a hooked
front end is connected to the bottom sur~ace of the veneer
supporting member 20 for swing motion together with the
veneer supporting member 20 and for independent movement
along the direction of the advancement of the veneer.
A control circuit as shown in FIG. 6 is provided to
control the operation of the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil
roller 3, the supply of the adhesive yarns through the guide
tubes 7, the reciprocation o~ the tool holcler 9 for cutting
operation r the reciprocation of the cooling and pressing
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membex 16 for pressing operation, the swing motion of the
veneer supporting members 20, and the advancement and the
retraction of the kickers 23, on the basis of the leading
end cutting signal and the trailing end cutting signal
provided by the microswitches ~ of the rollers 5.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention thus
constituted operates in the fo:Llowing manner.
Referring to FIG. 1, the veneer supporting members 20,
the kickers 23 and the rubber rollers 21 are raised to the
respective upper positions, a fixed length of adhesive
yarns 6 are drawn out through the guide tubes 7, and then
the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil roller 3 are actuated to
feed a veneer 1. Then, the rollers 5 are lifted up by the
leading end of the veneer 1, so that the normally-closed
contacts of all the microswitches M are opened to detect
that the veneer 1 of a predetermined thickness is supplied.
Consequently, the leading end cutting signal is provided
to stop the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil roller 3 and to
actuate the tool holder 9 for reciprocating motion to cut
the irregular leading end portion of the veneer 1 with the
cutting tool 11~ Then, the veneer supporting members 20,
the rollers 21 and the kickers 23 are moved to the respective
lower positions~ where the respective hooked ends of the
kickers 23 enter the cut part of the veneer 1 and are re-
tracted along the direction of delivery simultaneously to
kick out the irregular portion la from the anvil roller 3.
After the irregular portion la has been removed and
the extremities of the veneer supporting members 20 has
been received in the annular grooves 4, the feed conveyor 2
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and the anvi.1 roller 3 are started again to convey the
veneer 1 onto the veneer supporting members 20. When any
one of the rollers 5 detects decrease in the thickness of
the veneer below the set value, the trailing end cutting
signal is provided to stop the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil
roller 3, and then the cutting tool 11 is actuated to cut
oEf the irregular trailing end portion lc of the veneer 1 as
shown in FIG. 8.
Since the cooling and pressing member 16 is held during
the veneer cutting operation at a position where the cooling
and pressing member 16 will not obstacle the movement of the
tool holder 9 and the cutting tool 11, the cutting tool lli.s
enabled to be-waiting at a closest possible position relative
to the anvil roller 3. rrherefore, the cutting cycle time
is reduced.
Referring to FIG. 9, after the irregular trailing
end portion lc of the veneer 1 has been cut off, the veneer
supporting members 20 are turned clockwise holding -the ef-
fective portion lb of the veneer 1 between the veneer sup~
porting members 20 and the rollers 21, while the kickers
23 are moved to the extremities of the veneer supporting
members 20, and then thè feed conveyor 2 and the anvil roller. .
3 are actuated to remove the irregular traillng end portion
lc from the anvil roller 3 and to feed the next veneer 1'
onto the anvil roller 3.
The irregular leading and trailing end portions of
the veneer 1' are cut off with the cutting tool 11 and are
removed with the kickers 23 in the same manner of operation.
After the extremities of the veneer supporting members 20
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have been received in the annular grooves 4, the leading
cut end oE the veneer 1' is brought into abutment with
the trailing cut end of the efEective portion lb on the
anvil roller 3 to define a splicing line. Then, the rollers
R are actuated to supply a predetermined length of the
adhesive yarns 6, which are heated in a n~elted state by hot
air which is blown continuously from the nozzles 8. After
the adhesive yarns 6 have been placed over the surfaces of
the veneers 1 and 1' across the splicing line, the steel
strips 14 are lowered, thus lowering the cooling and pres-
sing members 16 to depress the adhesive yarns 6 onto the
effective portion lb and the veneer 1' across the spliclng
line and to cool the adhesive yarns 6 so that the adhesive
yarns 6 adhere to the veneers, thus splicing the veneers.
At the same time, the excessive parts of the adhesive yarns
6 are cut off with the knives 24 to leave only the adhering
portions of the adhesive yarns 6 on the veneers. The reverse
rotation of the rollers R upon the application of the knives
24 to tighten the adhesive yarns 6 will result in satisfacto-
ry cutting of the adhesive yarns 6.
After the adhesive yarns 6 have been cut off, the steel
strips 14 are raised to lift up the cooling and pressing
members 16, an~ then the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil roller
3 are actuated to carry out a series of the same operations,
namely, provision of the trailing end cutting signal, irregu-
lar trailing end portion cutting-off operation, the provision
of the leading end cutting signal, the irregular leading and
portion cutting operation, and the splicing operation, thus
continuously splicing the effective portions of veneers.
Part of each adhesive ~arn 6 corresponding to the groo~e
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18 of the cooling and pressing member 16 is not present
with the cooling and pressing member, which will not affect
the splicing strength. It is possible to shift the position
of action oi the gxoove 18 from the cutting line of the
cutting tool llby adapting the tool holder 9 so as to perform
a curcular motion on a rotary shaft and by reciprocating the
cooling and pressing member 16 along the tool holder 9 as
described hereinbefore.
As described hereinbefore, according to the present
invention, the guide grooves are formed in the cutting tool
or in the tool holder at an appropriate distance away from
the cutting edge of the cutting tool and the cooling and
pressing members are mounted on the tool holder on both
sides, with respect to the direction of feeding a veneer,
of the cutting tool by means of the guide grooves, therefore,
the provision of the cooling and pressing members have
nothing to do with the cutting operation of the cutting tool,
and hence the cutting tool can be held waiting for cutting
operation at a closest possible posltion to the cutting
position. Consequently1 the cutting cycle time is reduced,
thus improving the productivity of the veneer splicing appa-
ratus in which the cutting operation is repeated ~requently.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a sufficient
space for changing the cutting tool and the pressing members,
thus improvlng the accessibility of the apparatus.
In the preferred embodiment as described hereinbefore,
adhesive yarns are heated to melt the adhesive, and then
cooled and pressed with cooling and pressing members, however,
adhesive tapes of a preditermined length may be extended on
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the suxfaces oE veneers and pressed onto tne surfaces of
the veneers to splice the veneers with pressing members
(in this case, cooling is not necessary) in the same manner
as that described with regard to the preferred embodiment.
Furthermore, the pressing members may be guided by any
means other than that employed in the preferred embodiment;
the tool holder may be provided with a special guide mecha-
nism. The cutting and splicing apparatus may be of a form
as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Pub:Lication No~ 45-3~153,
in which the kickers employed in the present invention are
not necessary. Still further, the pressing members may be
mounted OIl the tool holder without using the guide grooves
formed in the cutting tool; each pressing member may comprise
two separate parts mounted separately on both sides of the
cutting tool respectively and may be operated by means of
the corresponding individual operating mechanisms for press-
ing operation.
